Edward Thomson
(Australian, Fl.1840-1870)
"View Gwydir River" - N.S.W.
14 x 20 ins -- 35.5 x 50.5 cms
Oil on paper on canvas, signed and dated 1866 - No. 11 water hole at the garden Gwydir Dale
"View Gwydir River" N.S.W. (fragile label on reverse).
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Price: Please Ask - Inexpensive, should really be in a New South Wales institution !!
This painting was exhibited at Sydney's Australian Subscription Library in March 1867.
Where the painting was Judged; 'The Gem of the collection'
Edward Thomson painted Australian landscapes. He was also a gold-digger and settler, he possibly first settled in south Australia where he was offering his services in 1840 as a drawing master at Mellor's academy, Adelaide. In the late 1840's Thomson was working in New South Wales, a landscape painting "New England", was awarded a prize by Sydney art dealer James Grocott at his art union in 1848.
Thomson also exhibited watercolours in 1849 and in 1851 at the Royal Scottish Academy.
In the early 1850's Thomson was accused of a abortive gold rush to Canning Downs, Queensland, by showering the area with fake gold and faking a large nugget from a lead bullet, covered in gold leaf, Thomson refuted this allegation made in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1852.
Thomson later admitted being responsible for the fake nugget as a piece of tomfoolery, at this time it is recorded Thomson was living at Warwick, Darling Downs.
After painting always in watercolour Thomson turned to painting in oil's, where he exhibited 12 oil paintings of the New England district at Sydney's Australian Subscription Library, in March 1867. Several titles are recorded "View of the Gwydir River" between, Koonganooran and Keera stations, was judged "The Gem Of The Collection" The following description of this painting can be found in: The Dictionary Of Australian Artist's by Prof. Joan Kerr.
"The well wooded banks of a broad widening stream, the clear waters of which appear to be sparkling in the half intercepted sunlight, the trees on the right side of the river are admirable, the long vista beyond them up the course of the stream is very beautifully painted".
This description is Exactly as the above offered painting. "The gem of the collection"
Thomson went on to exhibit 7 oils at the Sydney Intercolonial Exhibition, reported in The Sydney Morning Herald in 1870.
A bound volume of original watercolour paintings by Edward Thomson are held at the; National Library of Australia where they can be viewed at: http://www.nla.gov.au/catalogue/pictures